MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Last week, media reported that Snowden could be extradited by Russia to the United States as part of a swap deal for Russian businessman Viktor Bout. Responding to the rumored exchange, Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said Monday, that there are no grounds for Moscow to negotiate the whistleblower's extradition, and the reports were spread by the representatives of the Western intelligence agencies.
"So in a legal sense, there is no legal ground for me to be extradited. I'm recognized by practically every country that has a basis for this besides the Unites States as a whistleblower. There is literally no controversy about the lawfulness of my asylum," Snowden said.
Asked if he was a pawn in Russia-US relations, Snowden added that, "I'm not this powerful influential figure who can call shots, who can change things… Russia is a country that's got a lot of influence."
Earlier in the year, the NBC broadcaster reported that the US intelligence had obtained information that Russia was allegedly considering "turning over Edward Snowden as a gift" to new US President Donald Trump.
In 2013, Snowden leaked classified documents pertaining to mass surveillance practices carried out by US authorities around the globe. The same year, Russia granted the whistleblower temporary asylum for one year. In 2014, Snowden received a three-year residence permit to live in Russia, which was later extended until 2020.
Bout was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 in a joint operation between Thai and US authorities, who accused him of conspiring to kill US citizens by allegedly agreeing to supply Colombian militants with weapons. Moscow has said that the case has been politicized, and has repeatedly called on Washington to release the Russian citizen, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the United States.
